Metal Exposures at three U.S. electronic scrap recycling facilities

ABSTRACT

Many metals found in electronic scrap are known to cause serious health effects, including but not limited to cancer and respiratory, neurologic, renal, and reproductive damage. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention performed three health hazard evaluations at electronic scrap recycling facilities in the U.S. to characterize employee exposure to metals and recommend control strategies to reduce these exposures. We performed air, surface, and biological monitoring for metals. We found one overexposure to lead and two overexposures to cadmium. We found metals on non-production surfaces, and the skin and clothing of workers before they left work in all of the facilities. We also found some elevated blood lead levels (above 10 micrograms per deciliter), however no employees at any facility had detectable mercury in their urine or exceeded 34% of the OELs for blood or urine cadmium. This article focuses on sampling results for lead, cadmium, mercury, and indium. We provided recommendations for improving local exhaust ventilation, reducing the recirculation of potentially contaminated air, using respirators until exposures are controlled, and reducing the migration of contaminants from production to non-production areas. We also recommended ways for employees to prevent taking home metal dust by using work uniforms laundered on-site, storing personal and work items in separate lockers, and using washing facilities equipped with lead-removing cleaning products.

KEYWORDS:

• Cadmium
• e-scrap
• electronic scrap recycling
• electronic waste
• lead
• used electronics

Acknowledgments

Analytical Support: Bureau Veritas North America and Pacific Toxicology Laboratories. Medical Field Assistance: Melody M. Kawamoto, Francisco Meza, Barbara MacKenzie, Deborah Sammons, Chrissie Toennis. Logistics: Donnie Booher, Karl Feldmann, and Kevin Moore. Industrial Hygiene Field Assistance: Lilia Chen, Alan Echt, Aalok Oza, Jessica Ramsey, Kevin H. Dunn, Scott E. Brueck, Chad Dowell, Anna Barrett, Brian Curwin, Wei Gong, and Kendra Broadwater. Thanks go to the participating facilities for their cooperation. Thanks also for the technical expertise shared by personnel at the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries, Incorporated (ISRI), R2 Solutions (now called Sustainable Electronics Recycling International [SERI]), and the Basel Action Network (BAN).

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.